In our last post, we explored what resources were available to Plan Managers, what the basics looked like, and what best practice means in the NDIS. Today, we want to look at the tools that will help you do the job.

Simply, these tools will enable you to become more efficient, meaning that you can spend more time helping a participant get the very most out of their Plan. It’s all about the technical.

The Provider Portal

One of the biggest factors in properly executing your role as a Plan Manager is mastering the myplace provider portal. You need to understand what it is and how you will use it.

The NDIS treats Plan Managers as a type of provider, so the myplace provider portal and resources page is the best place to start. You can also check out its step-by-step guide. This explains how to manage your NDIS registrations, bookings, and payments through myplace.

Importantly, you will need to link your PRODA account to myplace. If you’ve got a PRODA account, you can login to myplace using your PRODA username and password; you’ll also be able to assign myplace access for other staff in your organisation.

It’s also worth noting that you use myplace to make a service booking. This allows you to access a participant’s Plan Managed funds. You’ll need to register a bank account in myplace for the NDIA to use to pay you against successful claims. The step-by-step guide has all your details.

The Price Guide

You’ve no doubt heard tale of the NDIS Price Guide. In our last post, you’ll remember that part of your responsibility is to validate a participant’s invoices against this guide; in short, this guide will become your best friend.

The NDIA limits how much a provider can charge for delivering NDIS supports to plan managed participants – and displays these figures in its Price Guide. This guide ensures a participant is getting value for money. If you notice a participant has been overcharged, you need to alert the participant and assess whether the invoice should be paid as is.

The NDIA frequently updates the guide and so to keep up to date with changes to the guide, check out the annual price review page.

Finding appropriate training

All the technical bits and pieces might be overwhelming, so it’s vital that you get support when you need it. The good news is there are organisations and consultants who specialise in this space and who offer training.

The NDIA has its series of webinars, which you can find here. As discussed, Plan Managers are mostly treated as a subset of Provider, but there are Plan Manager specific sessions you can also attend. Keep an eye out for those sessions.

Specialist NDIS consultants like DSC also provide invaluable resources and training content to help you learn the technical. Explore their Plan Management category, which features a host of webinars that you can watch in your own time.

And that’s the technical done! You’ve now become familiar with the guidelines that outline your roles and responsibilities, and also the tools at your fingertips that help get things done. Next? It’s time to establish what your Plan Management business is all about.

This series is co-written by Clickability and LanternPay. For more information on Clickability, or for more helpful guides just like this one, visit www.clickability.com.au. For more information on LanternPay and its claim payments platform, visit its website.